Download Religion in Shanghai

Tanya Nongera ‘14
Trinity in Shanghai
Assignment 2
Religion in Shanghai
There are many different religious groups found in Shanghai; Confucianism, Daoism
(Taoism), Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Popular Folk Religion. Daoism and Buddhism have
the biggest following in Shanghai, while Shanghai also boasts the largest Catholic presence in
mainland China. Given these factors, I intend to analyse Buddhism in Shanghai, and compare it
to Christianity in Shanghai and in my home country, given that Christianity is the predominant
religion in Zimbabwe.
There are many Buddhist temples in Shanghai, among these are three very famous and
old temples; Longhua Temple, Jing‘an Temple and The Jade Buddha Temple. The thing that
most intrigues me is that all of these Temples are popular tourist destinations in Shanghai.
During my travels around China I found that this is a common trend in many other Temples, not
only Buddhist ones. This is something that would not happen in Zimbabwe. Our Churches, no
matter how old and historical they may be, have never been turned into tourist attractions. A
prime example of this is The Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai. It is littered with tourists, both
foreign and local it becomes difficult to tell the devotees from everyone else. I always stop and
think; do they feel as if their sacred space is being invaded and they can no longer pray in peace.
The layout of Buddhist temples is another thing I paid close attention to on my visit to
The Jade Buddha Temple. The main Buddha, the god of the present, is located in the main hall,
he is placed front and centre, denoting his importance in the religion. This Buddha is flanked by
the god of the past and the god of the future, also of great significant in Buddhism, known
collectively as “Buddhas of the Three Times”. I also observed that the god of Mercy, although
in the same hall, is mounted towards the back of it, highlighting its importance, but also ensuring
no attention is taken away from the Buddha of the Present. In this same hall, there are nine
Luohan lining both walls, totalling eighteen Luohan. Christian Churches on the other hand are
the complete opposite. With the exception of Catholic Church all Churches only have the cross
of Jesus Christ as the focal point. The simplicity of the interior of a Christian Church is
something I find to be a lot more soothing than the intricacy and extravagance of
BuddhistTemples; providing a calm serene environment for worship.
The thing that most captured my attention about the Jade Buddha temple was the
placement of the Jade Buddha. Although it is not situated in the main hall at the entrance of the
shrine, it definitely has a prime location within the Temple. The Jade Buddha, one of five Jade
Buddha statues can be found in a special hall behind the main hall. Visiting this Buddha requires
the payment of an entrance fee, a trek up a few flights of stairs and a walk through elaborately
decorated hallways. The hall in which this Buddha sits is so extravagant, and all focus is drawn
towards the Jade Buddha. I think this placement of the Jade Buddha on higher ground bears a lot
of significance; it almost makes him seem heavenly. I also visited another Temple in Shanghai,
the Baoshan Jing Temple, and there is a common trend that I observed in both temples. Retail
stores can be found within the walls of both of these Buddhist Temples, selling everything from
jade jewellery to incense. This is certainly something you would never find in a Church in
Zimbabwe, I assume that this is a common occurrence in Temples in Shanghai given how many
tourists they attract.
The architectural style of both the Bashan Jing Temple and the Jade Buddha Temple is
reflective of the architectural style of all Buddhist Temples around Shanghai. The buildings are
all of the old time and classical Chinese style, for example, the Jade Buddha Temple is built in a
classic Song Dynasty style. This is one of the features of Buddhist Temples that has not changed
over the years. Buddhism is an old religion, going back thousands of years, and they have kept
the look of their place of worship just as old time and classic. The same cannot be said about
Churches however, especially in Zimbabwe, where a lot of Pentecostal and Apostolic Churches
are being founded. Many modern Churches no longer have the traditional look of a Church, with
the stained glass windows, Church bell and steeple. Many newly formed apostolic congregations
just get together on a small piece of land under a tree, demarcate which area is theirs, and call
this their Church. For the more extravagant Pentecostal Churches, enormous halls are being built
with a very modern 21st Century look, stages for a band, and speakers and microphones
throughout the establishment, and being turned into Churches. These two extremes within the
Christian faith make an interesting contrast with the one direction Buddhism chooses to take.
While at the Jade Buddha Temple, I asked a few devotees what they pray for when they
come to the Temple, and which gods they pray to for which request. I was intrigued when many
of them said things like “wealth”, “success”, “to get into a good university”, “good grades”. In a
city like Shanghai I can see why people would pray for these kinds of things, as success and
wealth are a large part of the cities culture. People want money and success in order to afford all
the luxuries such a metropolitan city can offer, while still providing for their families. Being that
I am a Christian, I then asked fellow members of my congregation what they usually pray for,
and many said thing like “good health”, “the safety of my family”, “my country”, “those less
fortunate than myself”. This allowed me to view the stark contradiction between these two faiths.
Having been in China for a few months, I have learnt that many things in the Chinese culture
always lead back to luck, good health and wealth, for example the peach tree signifies longevity,
and the ox symbolises success and abundance of wealth. These beliefs may be why many
Chinese people pray for superficial things such as wealth. While in Zimbabwe, the country has
gone through many hardships, and is still suffering hem today, health is a problem, and there are
many people with family living in poverty, this becomes the common line of prayer among many
devotees.
After observing and analysing religious groups in Shanghai, mainly Buddhists and
Taoists, I realised there was a common thread running through both of these faiths with regards
to how the devotees worship and praise their gods, and what beliefs they have about what can be
provided to them. Many of their beliefs led back to the cultural beliefs of the Chinese people and
the things they often wish for in daily life, such as wealth, a male child, good grades and the like;
allowing them to easily entangle their religious beliefs with their personal wants, needs and
beliefs.